Taste Preferences of Danish Schoolchildren Studied

COPENHAGEN, Denmark—A study conducted by Danish Science Communication and food scientists from The Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, recently investigated the taste preferences of 8,900 Danish schoolchildren. This reportedly marks the first time that such a large-scale study has been conducted on the details surrounding the tastes of children.

Results showed, in part, that boys and girls generally have the same number of taste buds. Regardless, analysis showed that boys need an average of 10% more sourness and 20% more sweetness in order to recognize the tastes.

While one-third of the children studied preferred non-sugary soft drinks, nearly half (48%) had an insatiable desire for sugar. Also, girls generally preferred flavors that aren’t overly strong, while boys tended toward more-extreme flavors. Not surprisingly in a country that’s one of the largest exporters of seafood in the world, 70% of the children reported that they like fish.

The study showed that children’s sense of taste changes, most notably at 13 to 14 years old, when they become less sensitive to sour tastes and the love of sweet tastes wanes.